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Friday, August 3, 2012

On such Observance days:
Any Lay Buddhist simply joins the Three Refuges and undertakes
theFive
Precepts like this: Newly bathed, shaved, white-clothed,with clean bare feet, one kneels at a shrine with a
Buddha-statue,and bows first three times, so that feet, hands, elbows,
knees andhead touch the floor. Then, with joined palms in front
of the heart,one recite these memorized lines in a loud, calm &
steady voice:

As long as this life lasts:I hereby take refuge in the
Buddha.
I hereby take refuge in the Dhamma.
I hereby take refuge in the Sangha.
I hereby seek shelter in the Buddha for the 2nd time.
I hereby seek shelter in the Dhamma for the 2nd time.
I hereby seek shelter in the Sangha for the 2nd time.
I hereby request protection from the Buddha for the 3rd time.
I hereby request protection from the Dhamma for the 3rd time.
I hereby request protection from the Sangha for the 3rd time.I will
hereby respect these ThreeJewelsthe rest of my life!

I accept to respect & undertake these 5 training rules:I hereby
accept the training rule of avoiding all Killing.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Stealing.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Sexual Abuse.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Dishonesty.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Alcohol & Drugs.As long as this life
lasts, I am thus protected by these 5 precepts...

Then,
one keeps and protects these sacred vows better than one's
own eyes & children!, since they protect you & all other beings
much
better than any army! They are the highest offer one can give in & to
this world! So is the start towards
Nibbāna: the Deathless Element!
This is the Noble Way to Peace, to Freedom, to Ease, to Happiness,
initiated by Morality,
developed further by Dhamma-Study
and
fulfilled by training of Meditation...

Today indeed is Pooya
or Uposatha or observance day, where any lay
Buddhist normally keeps the Eight Precepts
from sunrise until the
next dawn... If any wish an official recognition by the Bhikkhu-Sangha,
they may simply forward the lines starting with "I hereby ..."
signed with
name, date, town & country to me or
join here.
A public list of this new Saddhamma-Sangha is set up here!

This huge cave hall was built to house the Sixth Buddhist
Council convened in 1955
to recite the Pāli Tipitaka
and authenticate the texts. On the 2,500th Anniversary
of the Buddha’s final passing away (Parinibbāna),
2,500 monks assembled from the
Theravāda Buddhist countries. Venerable Mahāsi
Sayādaw performed the central
role as Chief Questioner (Pucchaka), which was fulfilled by Venerable Mahākassapa
in the First Council, held three months after the Buddha’s passing away. To house
this great hall, an artificial hill was constructed by voluntary workers
at Kaba-Aye
in Rangoon. This great hall is still used to hold the examinations in the
Tipitaka.